Orientalist Painting - The Defeat Of Abdel - Kader At The Kiffa - Pastel On Cardboard

Oval pastel depicting Emir Abdel-Kader, a major figure of Algerian resistance against the French conquest in the 19th century. A label on the back reads: "Defeat of Abdel-Kader at Kiffa." He is shown half-length, wrapped in his light burnous and wearing his traditional turban, his gaze grave and meditative. The red drapery accentuates the dramatic dimension of the portrait. This depiction may evoke the period following the defeat of the Smala in 1843, a major episode in the conquest of Algeria, when Abdel-Kader's traveling camp was captured by French troops. The sitter's introspective expression reinforces this historical interpretation, suggesting dignity in adversity. The work is presented in an oval frame of carved and gilded wood and stucco decorated with foliage. Dimensions with frame: 37 x 34 cm; dimensions without frame: 24 x 21 cm